How “Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model” changed the way I view models

As I scrolled eagerly looking for the perfect TED Talk to write a review about. I came across a beautiful, young model with the title: “Looks aren’t everything, Believe me. I’m a model.” I was intrigued by this video because I always assumed that models gave looks a great importance.

At the very beginning of this TED talk, model Cameron Russell walks the stage with a fitted black dress and heels. A couple seconds into her speech, she changes into a flowy skirt with a cardigan and black flats. This had a big impact. What it showed was that one’s appearance plays a big role in how people perceive you. While looks are important it isn’t what represents who they are.

“I just totally transformed what you thought of me, in six seconds,” she said. She was right. Once she changed into her second outfit, I viewed her as a soft and humble person. Honestly, my initial impression of Russell was she was just another model telling the audience how perfect her life is and looks don’t matter. But I was wrong.

I realized during her talk that she is just a regular person that happens to be a model. She is human and she has similar insecurities as other people, especially women and girls.

At one point in her speech she featured two side by side photos. On the left was a photo of Russell on a cover shoot and on the right was a photo of Russell doing ordinary things, like hanging out with friends at a slumber party.

The difference in the two photos were drastically different, proving her point that the modeling photos are a result of hours of editing and a whole production team. According to Russell, her modeling photos do not represent who she is as a person.

Overall, it was a great discussion and she made many valid points that helped me see a different point of view. I have a higher respect for models in general. I think more women and girls should watch this video because it breaks down the thought that the models on the covers of magazines are naturally born that way. All female body types are not created equal and that is ok. We all have insecurities about the way we look but it is important for girls of all ages to understand that the magazine covers are not realistic.